Automobile carriage.



T. J. VAN PELT.

AUTOMOBILE CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

T. J. VAN PELT.

AUTOMOBILE CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1908.

' 933,007. Patented Aug. 31 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNZLTED snares PATENT OFFICE.

TH ouAsJ. VAN FELT, OF'JS'IATE c'EN'rEnJowa.

AUTOMOBILE CARRIAGE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June re, 1998. Serial No. 439,461.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOM S; J. VAN Pnn'r, a citizen ot the United States, residing at State (cnten-in the county of Marshall and State of lowa,;have invented a new and useful Automoblle Carriage, of Which' the following is a specification.

The, object of this invention is to'provide means forapplying power to all ofthe sup porting and tractlon wheels of a vehicle s multaneously.

My invention consists in the construction,

arrangement and combination ofelements hereimrfter' set forth; pointed out in my claims and illustrated byltheaccompanying drawing lt11Wl110h-.

Figure 1 is a plan of a wheel carriage embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. '3 is a cross-section on the indicated line 3-3 of Fig. 1. ing the means employed to connect one of thewheels to the a Xle. Fig. 5 is a side elevat ion of an axleandFigzti is an end eleta-i tion of the same. Fig. 7 is an end elevation and Fig.- 8 is a side elevatlon of a frame employed to connect an axle to the gear. Fig. 9 is an elevation and Fig.v 10is a vertical section of a sprocket gearing em-v ployed in the machine. y

In the. construction of the :IlitlClHllB as shown the numerals 10,- 11 designate front wheels and 12, 13 designate rear wheels which may be of any desired construction and be provided with tires of any desired form or character. All of the wheels are of the same eonstructionanda single description is. applicable toeach. I

'lhe numerals 14, 15 designate axles which are alike in construction and preferably made of metal,cylindricalin general form.- Eaeh wheel. such as 10, 1s formed with a.

Slfllll or central bearing adaptedto admit one end of an axle. with internal inelined teet-h 16 in each end of its hub and the teeth in one'end arearranged opposite to the teeth in the other end; Pins l7 are loosely mounted in holes 18 (two in'namher in each end of each axle) and are adapted to move 'freely transversely of said axle. End portions of the p n 17 engage the teeth 16 in the hubs of the wheels.- lhus when the axleisl moved inonedirecv tion relatively two ot' th'e pins thereon. en-- gage the teeth '1 (3a tone end of'ea'ch hub for.

instmm and when the movement of the axle is reversed Fig. 4 isa detail elevation show sprocket Each Wheel is formed theother two. pins engage the other teeth and move the wheels in the op posite; direction.

Rectangular frames 19, 20 are mounted on the axles 14, 15 by means of bearings the by means ofabolt23. and ispivoted at its opposite end to the opposite end of the frame oted at-its forward end to the end of the frame 19 opposite to thebolt 23 by a bolt 25 and the opposite end of said. steeringbar is pivoted to the'end of the frame 20 opposite thebolt 24 by a-bolt 26. The points of pivotal attachment of the steering bars 21, 22 to the frame 19 are in ad Vance of the axle/1t. and the. points of piyotal attachment of said steering barsto the frame '20 are at the rear of the axle 15. Keepers 27 are mounted on thesteering bars 21-, 22 and arch over and slidingly'eonnect with the innermostcross bars of the frames 195 20. Arches 28, 29 are mounted on the frames 19, 20 and arches 30. 31 are arranged transversely of the first arches and are connected thereto by kingbolts 32, as. c

A carriage frame 3 1 is mounted on and.

supported by the extremities, of the arches .30, 31 .and a .motor 35.. is mounted onand carried by the central portion of said carriage frame. A steerin shaft 36 is mountedv vertically and stepped for rotation in parallel'cross-bars 37,: 38 onthe-central portion of i the carriage frame' 34 and is provided with a hand wheel 39 on its'upper end'whereby it may be rotated in either direction. A drum is formed onvthe steering shaft 36 between the cross bars37, 38 and a central portion of a cable is fixed' to and wound on said drum. The cable 40 extends obliquely from the drum on the steering shaft 36 to :1V point. of attachment such as an eye-bolt 41in one end portion of the frame 19 adjacent the bolt The cable 40 extends laterally between the cross-bars 37, 38 to and around a guide "sheave 42 and thenceobliqnely to a oint of attachment such as an eye-bolt lit in the end portion of the frame tfladjacentthe bolt 25. The eye-bolts 41, 43' and nuts thereon may. be employed to determine and "Patented Aug. @1 0 '70 20 by a. bolt-24L The steering bar 22 i's-pivadjust the tension of the cable 40. A shaft l 44 is mounted for rotation in bearings on the l carriage frame 34 and is arranged parallel with the shaft of the motor Sprocket gearing 45 connects the shaft 44 to the motor shaft. A shaft 46 is mounted for rotation by a pedally operated brake lever 50 fulcrumed on the cross-bar 37 adjacent the steerin shaft 36. A ball or spherical boss engagin 51 is ormed on the central portion of the axle 15 and a sprocket wheel. formed of mating members 52, 53 is mounted loosely on sald axle and is formed with concavo-convex hub members 54, 55 loosely embracing and engaging said ball. The sprocket wheel may oscillate on the ball 51. A frame is rovided and is constructed of heads 56, 57 mounted on the axle 15 on opposite sides of the sprocket wheel thereon and adapted to be secured to said axle rigidly by pins 58 extendin through the hubs of the heads and througi said axle. The heads 56, 57 are connected by cross-bars 59 which extend loosely through holes 60 in the sprocket wheel members 52, 53. The sprocket wheel may oscillate within the frame because the holes 60 are materially larger than the diameter of the cross-bars 59. Rods 61 are mounted longitudinally of the carriage frame 34 on opposite sides of the sprocket wheel to limit oscillation of said sprocket wheel on a horizontal axis,.becau se of the location Of said rods above the frame heads 56, 57. A sprocket chain 62 connects the sprocket wheel on the axle 15 to a sprocket wheel 63 rigidly mounted on the shaft-'44. The axle 14 is provided with a central boss or ball, a sprocket wheel thereon, a frame said sprocket wheel and rods 64 1 identica with those described in connection with axle 15. A chain 65- connects the sprocket wheel of the axle 14-to'a sprocket wheel on the shaft 46.

In the practicalopera'ftion of this machine any movement of rotation of the. steering shaft 36 is communicated simultaneously to and results in a movement of oscillation of the wheels 10, 11, 12- and 13 through" the medium of the cable 40, frames 19, 20 and the steering bars 21, 22 to the end of turning i so . direction of travel of the carriage.

the supporting-and traction wheels on vertical axes in such manner as to chan e the motor 35 is reversible it follows that the forward or rearward travel of the supporting and traction wheels is dependent on the direction of rotation of the motor shaft. Prof the.

vision of a hand brake in the driving mechanlsm insures the appllcatlon of the braking influence simultaneously to all' four of the wheels of the carriage. The movement of oscillation between the sprocket wheels and the axles on which they are mounted is provided in order that desired alinement of the sprocket gearing may be maintained irrespective of oscillation of the frames 19, 20

and axles therein and the rods 61 and 64 arranged as described serve to maintain such almement in respect of the mam frame 34.

I claim as my invention- 1. An automobile carriage, comprising wheeled trucks formed with horizontal slots in their inner ends, arches on said trucks, arches crossing and pivoted to the first arches, a frame fixed to the latter arches,

steering bars crossing each other between and pivoted at their ends to said trucks, keepers on said steering bars extending loosely through the slots of the trucks, and

.all v and crossing each other between the frames, keepers on said steering bars slidingly engaging port1ons of said frames.

axles in said frames, wheels supporting saidaxles, a carriage frame rigidly mounted on the latter arches, and driving mechanism on the carriage frame geared to both of said axles.

3. An automobile, comprising wheels, axles carried by said wheels, frames journaled on said axles, crossed steering bars pivotally connected to said frames, keepers on said bars slidingly engaging said frames, arches on said frames, arches crossm and plvoted. to the first arches, a carriage rame mounted rigidly on the latter arches, steering mechanism on the carriage frame and connected to one of the first frames, driving 'mechanism on the c'arria e frame and\ gear connections between sai driving mechan-. ism and both of the axles.

4. An automobile, comprising a carriage frame, a plurality of trucks pivoted thereto and adapted to oscillate on vertical axes,

said trucks formed with slots horizontally arranged in their inner ends, crossed bars between said trucks, pivotal connections between the extremities of said bars and the trucks in front of the forward axle and at the rear of the rear axle thereof, sliding connections between said crossed bars and the trucks, said sliding connections comprising keepers. fixed to and arching above the crossed bars. and extending through said slots in the trucks, together with steering devicesand driving mechanism carried on the carriage frame and geared to the trucks.

5. In an automobile a traction axle formed with a ball intermediate of its ends, a sprocket wheel formed of mating members each provided with a seat adapted to en age said ball, frame heads rigidly mounts on said axle on opposite sides 'ofthe sprocket Wheel and bars-on said frame heads extending loosely and slidingly through said sprocket wheel, whereby-said sprocket- Wheel may oscillate on said ball.

6. An automobile carriage comprising wheels, axles carried by said Wheels, frames journaled on said axles, said frames formed with horizontal slots in their inner ends, crossed steering bars pivotally connected to said frames at points in frontof theforward axle and at the rear of the rear axle, keepers mounted on said bars and extending through said slots, asteering drum, a cable having its bight Wound on said drum and fixed at its ends to forward cornersof the forward frame, arches on said frames, arches crossing and pivoted to the first arches, a carriage frame rigidly mounted on the latter arches, driving mechanism on the ca'ria 'e frame and ear connections beb b tween said driving mechanism and both of said axles.

' THOMAS J. VAN PELT.

G. W. Hon, J. GUTEKUNST. 

